KFTC Blog

What we saw last night in Louisville and what we’ve seen across the country is folks tired of being ignored. Police brutality and misconduct are a century-old issue that reflects our country’s grotesque and murderous beginnings. While these issues are pronounced in Black and urban communities, it’s true that we are all affected by a police state with few mechanisms for co-governance, accountability and justice. People are taking to the streets because racist ideologies that created police are the same that curd the very fabric of every American institution that exists and our current leaders are doing very little to change it.

As KFTC members, our task is to do what we know best – and that's to organize.

Some reactions

"It is not a riot. It is a revolt against a system in which people have felt oppressed. What I'm seeing is people who are trying their best to do something with their hurt, their pain and their frustration."

Keisah Dorsey, Louisville Metro Council member

"I agree that we need to keep our eyes on the prize, and do the electoral and policy work at hand. That's what will turn around the brutal system that makes the most vulnerable communities the most at risk of police brutality."

Meta Mendel-Reyes, Berea

"I don't honestly know how we move forward, but white people have to be part of the solution. The root of this problem - racism - is so deep. As white people we need to recognize that. We need to see our own privilege, and we have to get better. We have to listen more. We have to see the ways people are hurting. And we have to heal."

Lisa Garrison, Corbin

"Racist terror is torture. But it won’t break down my hope. Our hope must be unbreakable like our resistance to racist power and policy. Our hope must be philosophical. To bring about antiracist change we must never stop believing in the possibility of antiracist change."

Ibram X. Kendi on Twitter

This year we have committed to two large pieces of work that reflect our commitment to radically changing business as usual. We have to remain diligent and focused on these goals.

First, we have a commitment to voter engagement and the electoral process. We are engaging more Kentuckians in this year’s elections and supporting candidates who share our values, including Charles Booker and several local candidates. We’ve got to be vigilant in continuing that work. We have to show up as KFTC – as leaders – to make sure we’re electing the people who can help us create the Kentucky and country we want to see.

We’ve also committed to centering racial equity and justice within our organization. This is work that started years ago and continues now as we incorporate a staff union, prepare for organizational change, and radically shift how we organize ourselves. As we reflect upon who we are and decide who we want to be, we must push each other and give ourselves grace as we ask others to do the same. We must be committed to this work as well.

We all have individual agency, and we must be vigilant in using it to call out injustice. There are a number of immediate actions we can take:

The primary election matters. When we vote, we’re choosing what kind of Kentucky we want to call home. And we want as many Kentuckians as possible to have a voice and a vote when we choose leaders on June 23.

Most voting in the primary election will be by mail so we can keep each other safe. But this process is new, and we need to spread the word about how it works.

Every registered voter in Kentucky is encouraged to vote by mail, and you can request a ballot at www.GoVoteKY.com. This is the easiest way to get a mail-in ballot.

Go ahead and request your ballot today while you’re thinking about it and encourage others to do the same!

June 15 is the deadline to request mail ballots. Your ballot must be postmarked no later than June 23 and received by June 26 (but earlier is better!). Read the directions on your ballot carefully and follow all the instructions including signing both envelopes. Postage on ballots is already paid.There also will be local drop boxes at limited locations if you'd prefer to drop off your ballot (your county clerk can tell you where).

Voting will be a little different this year for the June 23 primary election, with most voting happening by mail. But there are a few different options Kentucky voters have to cast their ballot.

There will be a link where you can request a ballot at www.GoVoteKY.com starting May 22. You can alternately call your county clerk now to request a mail-in ballot, but that process will have added steps. You can find your county clerk's number at this website. Some county clerk websites also have an online form to request a ballot.

There's a June 15 deadline to request mail ballots. Ballots need to be postmarked no later than June 23 and received by June 26 (but earlier is better!). Postage on ballots is already paid, and there will also be local drop boxes at limited locations if you'd prefer to drop them off rather than mailing them.

"I love zine-making because anyone can do it. You can have as few supplies as a piece of paper and a pencil and still make an incredible zine that informs, educates, inspires, provokes, entertains, empowers, or otherwise delights your own mind and those of the people you share it with."

KFTC now has one central place where you can find upcoming online content like local chapter meetings, trainings, cultural events, phone banks and more to learn, take action, and be in solidarity with each other.

We make space at every online event for people to get to know each other, really interact, make connections.

For example, tomorrow, Saturday May 2, there's a 1 p.m. ET training on voter registration including how to help the 152,000 Kentuckians who won the right to vote to register and a preview of the new vote-by-mail process.

On Tuesday night, 160 KFTC members and friends came together for the KFTC Charles Booker Town Hall where Rep Charles Booker talked about his story and his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Mitch McConnell. KFTC's New Power PAC endorsed Booker earlier this year.

It was an opportunity for KFTC's statewide issue committees and members as a whole to ask Charles Booker questions and make their own stances known.

It's hard to build community in a time of social distancing, but this was an important and needed space for us to see eachother, laugh together, and build power together.

Right now, 182 KFTC members and friends are signed up to come to tonight's Town Hall meeting with Representative Charles Booker, who's running for US Senate. In this moment, it's clearer than ever Kentuckians need leaders who share our values and put the wellbeing of our communities–no matter the color of our skin or how much money we have–above all else. With this momentum, electing our vision feels more possible than ever, but it's going to take all of us to get us there.

At the town hall, we’ll gather together online to hear his story, ask him questions, and find out how we as KFTC members can take action to make a real difference in the June primary, even as we practice social distancing and work to keep our communities safe. Registration is required for this event. Once you register, we'll email you a link with easy instructions to join the call through your computer or phone.